December:

• Ivo put on 2 amazing gigs at the Blag. Dirty Rev played on the Friday night, and Smokey Bastard played on the Saturday night. It was ace.
• I went out for lunch with Heredge, and we exchanged Chrimble pressies. It was both lovely and delightful. She was furry.
• Went to what might be the best gig of the year, Franz Nicolay, Ben Marwood and Chris T-T at the Rising Sun Arts Centre, a place I barely even knew existed.
• My friend Charlie had her bag stolen and I sent her a replacement copy of the book she was reading. Spreading Atwood love all over the place.
• Dressed up all nice like to go to the pub on Christmas Eve. Managed to not be a dick or make myself sad about Mike’s ex being there.
• Got new scales at work which was very exciting for everyone, except that one of them weighed things really differently to the other.
• Accidentally ran a whole day at work by myself, which went really well and which I really enjoyed. Made me really want the asst manager position.
• Didn’t get asst manager position and got demoted from supervisor for breach of confidentiality.
• Made a LOT of fudge.
• Laptop decided it would be a good idea to pop a hinge out, so glued it all up and bought a little netbook for travel/moving about around the house.
• Had a lovely Christmas day with Mike and duck and a lot of chocolate and presents and Skype and pub and friends.
• Caught up with most of the fab 5, which was lovely.

And here I am, hopefully going to Southampton for New Year’s Eve, but not entirely sure as to how we’re getting there yet. December overall probably the best and worst month, but it’s Christmas and I’m in love so 9/10.

November:

• Quit Scribbler to go full time at Lush.
• ‘Surprised’ Mike by going to Brighton to see his gig. Not a surprise because I went down with them in the van.
• Bought a dining room table and spent 2 weeks waiting for it to arrive.
• FUCKING INTERNET WAS FINALLY CONNECTED.
• Saw Mel and Beth whilst in Brighton which was lahhvely and bought Christmas presents.
• Dyed my hair blue, purple and red.
• Had to skip a Frank Turner gig due to work commitments :(
• Had the busiest and most amusing day during the teachers’ strike. 

Overall alright. Going full time at Lush was super exciting at the time but now I’m a bit meh about it. 6/10?

October:

• Had no internet at home for the ENTIRE MONTH so had to internet at the pub/in coffee shops a lot. Drank a lot of Orangina.
• Done a cider festival at the Blag which got me into the paper and had an hilarious conversation about blue cheese.
• Lots of people left Lush due to managerial changes. Sad.
• Shed of WHAT? Field and Jim done singing on stage and it were good.
• Smokey Bastard launched their album and tour with a gig at Sub 89 which I sold merch for. Ace gig and I sold a lot of merch. Merch merch merch.
• Had the worst menstrual cramps I’ve ever experienced. Curled up on bathroom floor for a long time, had to call in sick to work and everything. Bad times.

Overall alright. Work was still shitty for a long time and that was sad but it’s not the be all and end all. Most annoying thing was Orange taking SO FUCKING LONG to connect my interwebs. 4/10

September:

• Didn’t get paid from Scribbler. Not cool. Sorted it out in the end by being paid in cash, but still….not cool!
• Found a flat we wanted to move into after looking at about 17 million and moved in on the 26th. Stressful, annoying and expensive.
• Had the Christmas meeting at Lush where we’re taught about the new Christmas products and get a box full of them to use. AWESOME.
• Mike’s music video came out and I relived that terrible day of terribleness A LOT while every one of my friends posted it all over various interweb sites.
• Didn’t have internet after we moved for 2 months.
• Changes at Lush meant I was incredi-mis and it was horrible.

Overall it was pretty fucking shitty. 2/10

August:

• Moved house! Finally had all my belongings in one county if not in one place. Had my first experience of commercial storage, which was surprisingly easy.
• Had my first dress up campaign day at work. Launching our bottle top recycling scheme, I was dressed like a sailor and I looked cute alllll day and played in the paddling pool a lot.
• Made excellent banana bread.
• My flipping neice was born! I found out via Facebook and got really mad about it.
• Pre-festival pub lock in was ridiculously messy. Included Jager-Leffe.
• Reading festival, exceptionally mediocre line up. Approx 4 acts I wanted to see of which I saw….1. Met up with Gez as usual. Went home almost every night because it was just so close by and I hate tents.

Overall alright. It was nice to finally finish the move, because it had been building up for so long and we had some nice weather but most stuff was a bit dull. Mia was born though and that is enough to bring us up to 10/10.

July:

• Smokey Bastard shot a music video in which Mike was painted mostly grey. I got very drunk and we had a big fight. Awesome.
• I got a job at Lush as a sales assistant.
• I started packing properly, and sent stuff I didn’t want to keep for myself to everyone ever.
• Went to see fucking HARRY POTTER. Midnight showing, it was beautiful.
• Mike and I had a beautiful weekend in Brighton, went on the pier and did some gambling, it was sunny and beautiful and lovely.
• I re-shaved in my ‘hawk as a present to myself for getting the Lush job.
• Discovered POPPING CANDY CHOCOLATE SPREAD.
• The Blagrave had a fruity and fun beer festival and it was both tasty and lucrative.

Overall pretty damn good. Again, stressful because there was this whole “are we moving/ aren’t we moving” thing and flat viewings…blahhh. 8/10

June:

• After 8ish months of being with Mike and frequenting the Blagrave, being served by this lady very often and indeed working with her on several occasions I got a tab under the name “Mikes Girlfriend” (sic).
• I finished watching every single episode of Criminal Minds.
• It was Field’s birthday and it was beautiful.
• Started preparing for the Brighton-to-Reading big ass move.
• Went to my pretty-much-auntie’s 30th wedding anniversary party. Got trollied in front of various family members. Did karaoke.
• Surprised Mike with a fort in the living room for dinner. Picnic fort!
• Flipping loved a lot of things.

Overall pretty good from what I can remember. Bit stressful because I couldn’t get back to Brighton very much and I felt bad, but it was our first proper month living together and that was lovely.

May:

• My birthday month! Yay! I started thinking noone could do anything for it, and realising all my friends are spread out everywhere and that sucked but then at the last minute it all came together. Mike took me to the London Dungeons and that was AWESOME, he also surprised me with a cake from the corner shop at midnight in the pub the day before. The day after we went for a delicious dinner with my mummy and stepdad. Said stepdad bought me delicious dinnerplace vouchers which we have since utilised.
• Spent a lovely couple of days in Brighton, popped to Hove to see lovely ladies in my life whilst they got dissertation help. We ate MEATS.
• I got new tattoos and they were and are super.
• My brother took me to see Frank Turner, Franz Nicolay and Ben Marwood and I met Franz at the merch table. Ahhh!
• Made Mike a REALLY nice birthday cake. Chocolate and vanilla stout with a delicious chocolate ganache icing.
• Good few lock-ins at the Blag, lots of fun drinking nights and walking home in the daylight.
• More awesome Bastard gigs. Even the rainy bank holiday all day-er.

Overall: Super. Birthday month is always the best month. 9/10

April:

• Got a job at Scribbler - whey! Full time living in Reading, no longer travelling ‘twixt Brighton and Reading for job centre/boyfriend times respectively.
• Had a beautiful day of beer and love and Scrabble in Carshalton with my lady loves. Absolutely wonderful.
• The Bastard played Reading beer festival and it was awesome, many beers and many lolz had by all.
• I started getting regular shifts at The Blagrave.
• St George’s day was celebrated with face paint and pie and my favourite picture of me and Mike.
• I started growing chilis.
• We went to my mum’s for Easter/Si’s birthday, and it was lovely and sunny and Bob, next door’s hairless cat came and sat on me for a while.

Overall pretty good. Mainly getting a job, it was towards the end of the month but it was definitely a GOOD THING. 8/10

March:

• Went to a gig in Basingstoke and saw Jon and Laura for the first time in ages. Lovely.
• Made pesto.
• Did my first couple of shifts at the pubs Mike works in.
• Remained unable to get a job.
• Went to a lot of Mike’s gigs.

Overall, not amazing. Nothing memorable, and I was still unemployed. Pretty sure this was the month I stepped up my game re: unemployment though after Mike and I argued about me not putting enough effort in.